


Retail Therapy

by VoidofRoses



Series: Recovery [5]
Category: Legend of the Three Caballeros (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ari is nonbinary and there’s nothing you can do about it, Gen, shopping shenanigans, the girls are actually nice to Donald
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 21:08:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15894177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoidofRoses/pseuds/VoidofRoses
Summary: The triplets looked like they didn’t believe him, which just made him curl a bit further in on himself, an uncomfortable silence filling the room before April spoke, her beak scrunching up. “What is it you’re wearing? Did you lose that sailor suit of yours?”Donald glanced down at himself, raising his arms. “It’s Panchito’s,” he said a little defensively, tucking thesarapearound himself as the rooster nodded proudly. “My navy uniform kind of got…destroyed in the fight.”





	Retail Therapy

When Ari came back to the Institute with April, May and June, it had been two months since Donald had been freed from Felldrake’s hold. Though the girls had insisted on coming back earlier, Xandra had told them to wait it out at the world tree – the gods would take care of them there, and they were safe there now that they had their old senses back. Jupiter, Mars and Venus were all too happy to have guests again.

April stretched her arms over her head as she cricked her shoulders, yawning as the girls got out of the cab, Ari chittering as they paid the driver. “If I see another plane again,” the girl in yellow said, glancing at her sisters as they got the luggage from the trunk. “It’ll be too soon.”

“Aw, I thought it was fun,” June replied, backpack slung over her shoulders before she frowned. “Xandra said that everything was fine but she sounded a bit off over the mirror. I hope it’s really okay.” The triplets shared a look before they were joined by Ari, the Aracuan tilting their head before zipping up the steps of the Institute and inside.

“Well, it can’t be any worse than how we left it,” May sighed, and the girls followed Ari in, her head tilting as she looked inside, calling out. “We’re back.”

Nobody answered her, and the trio paused, their tails standing on end. April pursed her beak, fingers tight around her suitcase handle. “Keep your wits, girls.” Her sisters nodded and they traversed further into the building, footsteps careful. There was no need to rush into things when they didn’t know what was going on. Ari chittered quietly, zipping here and there and then gesturing to them to move forward, before the sound of voices came floating down the corridor.

June paused, tilting her head and straining her ears. “Is that…José?”

The girls looked at each other before abandoning their luggage and hurrying towards the source of the voices – the den. Throwing open the doors, something clattered to the floor as the Caballeros and Xandra turned to look at them, the goddess being the first to speak as the blueish-purple glow left Donald’s hands. “Girls! We weren’t expecting you back so…”

“Get away from them, you creep!”

_Oh dear_ , Xandra thought to herself as the triplets stepped in front of José, Panchito and herself. Donald looked slightly hurt and taken aback, holding his hands up defensively as they took up offensive stances. Xandra tried to hold in her smile; the gods had obviously taught them some techniques while they were at the world tree. In fact, she recognised June’s as one of Venus’, but this…wasn’t going to be good for Donald’s confidence.

“ _Meninas, meninas_.” It was José who spoke, a slight chuckle in his voice as he placed a hand gently on May’s shoulder. “I appreciate the concern, but we were just practicing.”

The girls stopped, April hesitating with a raised eyebrow. “Practicing?”

“ _Sím_ ,” he said cheerfully, tipping his hat and walking around May to stand next to Donald, his hand clapping the duck’s back. “Since Panchito banished Felldrake, Donal’ has had some residue magic left in him. I’ve been trying to help him control it.”

“Wait, _Panchito_ was the one who banished him?” The incredulous tone in June’s voice made the rooster laugh a bit.

“It’s a long story.”

“Uh, sorry, Donald.” May looked down at her feet a bit guiltily, running her fingers through the feathers at the back of her neck. “We thought the guys were being attacked so…”

“It’s…it’s okay.” Donald sounded hesitant, one hand wrapping around his arm in a defensive posture that his friends had begun learning was something he did when he felt insecure. He felt José’s hand rub the middle of his back reassuringly, his friend staying next to him while his arm dropped and he drew it back around to rest on his umbrella. He chuckled a bit self depreciatively. “I think I’m getting used to it.”

The triplets looked like they didn’t believe him, which just made him curl a bit further in on himself, an uncomfortable silence filling the room before April spoke, her beak scrunching up. “What is it you’re wearing? Did you lose that sailor suit of yours?”

Donald glanced down at himself, raising his arms. “It’s Panchito’s,” he said a little defensively, tucking the _sarape_ around himself as the rooster nodded proudly. “My navy uniform kind of got…destroyed in the fight.”

“Hmm. Cute,” June teased, earning a blush from both Caballeros and causing Xandra to hide a smile behind her hand. “We can do better though.” She and May took hold of his hands, April throwing up hers as she took her purse out of her pack, the girls leading Donald out the room before the boys and their goddess could protest. “See you guys later.”

Ari waved goodbye as the four of them left, turning their head to chitter at José, who in turn looked at Panchito. The rooster pouted, crossing his arms defensively. “My _sarape_ ’s not that bad.”

______________

Instead of taking him to the more uptown boutique stores around New Quackmore like he thought they would, the girls got a cab and they drove into downtown Duckburg. Donald had to stop himself from shivering as he looked out the window, tucking his arms under the _sarape_ ; the surroundings were a reminder of the worst day of his life.

Well, second worst day. Felldrake’s possession was beginning to rival that of his last birthday.

The girls had been quietly whispering among themselves the entire trip, occasionally glancing at him where he sat in the front seat with an overly chatty driver. It wasn’t that he minded but, this was the first time he’d been outside of the Institute since that day.

“We’re here.” The cab stopped and the four occupants got out, June paying for the ride, and Donald stood face to face with the mall, feeling his stomach turn cold. The mall had been where Daisy used to drag him off to and make him spend his hard earned money. It had seemed romantic at the time, paying for all those things, but in the end, they were useless and the memories weren’t enough. He swallowed down his pride, and his anxiety and turned to look at them.

“So where to first, girls?”

“We though we’d start simple,” April started, walking over to the information sign and pointing to their destination. “Work our way through. If you find something that you like, then we can stop.”

“I…I can’t pay for…”

“It’s alright. This is our treat,” June said, tucking her hands behind her back and turning her head to smile at him guiltily. “Think of it as an apology for accusing you like we did.”

That…actually touched him. He always got the feeling that Daisy’s nieces didn’t like him, though whether they had gotten that from her or not was another thing all together. Donald’s fingers relaxed where they clung to the _sarape_ draped around him, shoulders drooping as he shook his head. “You…you don’t need to apologise. I…Felldrake made me do a lot of things. I would’ve hurt you girls if you had been there.”

“You don’t need to worry about us now,” May said, taking hold of the crook of his arm. “Jupiter, Mars and Venus made sure we’d be able to defend ourselves if the time came.”

“And besides that, it was that creep Felldrake that made you do those things, not you.” April huffed, crossing her arms as she turned around to face the other three, raising an eyebrow at him. “There’s a difference.” She walked back over to join them, taking hold of his other arm as June took the front. “C’mon. There’s nothing like a little bit of retail therapy.”

The first couple of shops proved fruitless, or they just didn’t want to serve them. It seemed like despite the girls’ confidence in him and the reassurance that he’d gotten from the Caballeros and their goddess, people seemed to recognise his face even though the majority of the damage had happened to New Quackmore. Donald couldn’t find it in him to blame them. They didn’t know that he’d been taken over by an ancient sorcerer, but he still flinched when they were barred from entering a shop by a quick thinking shop attendant.

“Well this sucks,” May said, after about forty five minutes of fruitless searching. She placed her hands on her hips, poking her tongue out at the shop owner who peeked out from behind closed blinds. “Phooey to them. They just lost our business.”

“I’m sorry, girls.” He sighed, head dropping. “I…I should’ve known…”

“Would you stop apologising!” June whirled around on her foot, poking him in the chest. “It’s. Not. Your. Fault. You didn’t do anything wrong! And if they can’t see it that way, then you don’t need to take their bull!”

“Well said, my girl.” The voice and the clapping made the four of them turn to look at a dog-faced woman, her tail wagging behind her. She clasped her hands together, beaming at them. “My apologies for interrupting, but I couldn’t help but overhear.” She gestured behind them. “My shop remains open for you.”

Donald felt a small wave of relief roll across him as he sighed, the three girls raising an eyebrow at the shopkeeper before relenting. “Thank you,” May said as they walked in, then hurried along behind her sisters.

The shop was…decent. Not the girls’ first pick, sure, but the shopkeeper had a decent range of stock. There was band tees, pop culture tees, tank tops, flannel shirts, jeans, boots, you name it. April gestured for Donald to sit down near the change rooms while the girls spread themselves out, picking shirts from racks and bringing them back to him to try on, a blur of movement with the store clerk helping them out when she could.

Within a few twenty minutes, they had a few outfits picked out for him. Donald exited the change rooms, dressed in a blue shirt and black and white checked flannel, tugging at the clothes self consciously. He smiled a little to himself, speaking up for the first time since their arrival in the store. “I…when I was younger, I used to wear something like this on granny’s farm.” He sniffed a bit, wiping the back of his wrist under his beak. “Gladstone, Fethry, Della and I used to help out there during the holidays.”

The girls shared a look, not knowing who those people were, but April spoke up, clearing her throat. “It’s yours if you want it, Donald.”

He gave her an appreciative smile.

They ended up getting him a couple of matching tops and flannel shirts in red, blue and green, thanking the shop keeper for her help on the way out. She gave them a smile, and wished him well, and four ducks walked out of the mall, the tallest with a bag containing his new clothes and Panchito’s _sarape_. Donald exhaled, looking down at the girls and feeling a bit…lighter.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank us,” June responded, phone out and calling for a cab. “It’s the least we could do after we accused you.”

“Still…” His shoulders sagged a bit, shaking his head to himself. There was no use in arguing with Daisy’s nieces.

“By the way, what’s going on with you and Panchito?” May asked coyly, nudging him in the side and causing him to blush. “Xandra said over the mirror that you’ve been getting cosy with him lately.”

Donald’s face turned into a full flush. “N-No I haven’t!” he protested, arms waving wildly. “He just…lent me his clothes, that’s all.”

“And apparently has been cooking for you, among other things,” April teased, and Donald buried his face in his hands. “Don’t worry. We’ve got everything under control.”

Donald really, _really_ hoped they weren’t going to do what he thought they were going to do.

**Author's Note:**

> I adore @solbabydraws’ teen cousin shenanigans so there’s a little homage to it there


End file.
